Stringed instrument



Dec. 27, 1938. A. G BORG 2,141,735

STRINGED INSTRUMENT Filed May 6, 1937 Patented Dec. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to stringed instruments. More particularly the invention relates to that type of stringed instrument which is of the violin variety and embodies 5 a sound box with a string supporting bridge on the front thereof and a sound post between the front and back for transmitting sound producing vibrations to the back.

One object of the invention is to provide a stringed instrument of this type which includes a novel and comparatively simple device for amplifying and refining its tones.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stringed instrument of the last mentioned char- 15 acter in which the tone amplifying and refining device is disposed between the sound post and the back of the sound box so that it operates materially to increase or augment the vibration transmitting tendency of the post. Another object of the invention is to provide a stringed instrument of the type under consideration in which the tone amplifying and refining device is so designed that its vibrational frequency corresponds to that of one of the low tones of the instrument and hence operates in an effective manner to clarify the base or low tones.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stringed instrument of the type and character under consideration in which the tone amplifying or refining device not only effectively clarifies the base or low notes and amplifies the same, but also makes it possible to obtain clear high notes on the E string such, for example, as the notes or tones emanating from the instrument when the finger is placed on the tenth, eleventh or twelfth position on the E string during the course of play of the instrument.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a tone amplifying and refining device which may be produced at a low and reasonable cost and effectively fulfills its intended purpose.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l. is a plan view of a stringed instrument embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section illustrating in detail the arrangement and design of the tone amplifying and refining device;

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a perspective of the improved tone amplifying and refining device.

The invention is shown by way of example in connection with a violin. The latter comprises a sound box 5, a neck 6, a bridge I, a tailpiece 8, strings 9, and a sound post Ill, and is of standard or conventional design except for the fact that it includes, as hereinafter described, a device II for amplifying and refining its tones. The sound box 5 consists of a front H, a continuous side wall !3, and a back M. The side wall I3 is formed of hard wood such as maple and embodies opposed bouts l5 adjacent to the central portion of the sound box. The front and back are shaped conformably to the side wall and are outwardly bulged. They are secured marginally to the front and back edges of the side wall respectively and coact to amplify the tones which are formed when the strings 9 are subjected to the action of a how. The front 12 is formed of soft wood such as spruce, and the back I4 is formed of the same material as the side wall l3, that is, maple. Sound holes l6 are formed in the front 12 inwardly of the bouts IS. The neck 6 of the violin is fixedly secured to the head end of the sound box 5 and has a peg box I! and a fingerboard IS. The peg box is disposed at the outer end of the neck and includes pegs 19 to which the head ends of the strings 9 are secured. The pegs are rotatably mounted in the peg box and are adapted to be turned in connection with tuning of the violin. The strings extend across the outer edge of the bridge 1 and are connected at their tail ends to the tailpiece 8. The latter, as shown in Figure 2, is connected by a flexible member 2!] to a button 2| on the tail or bottom portion of the side wall of the sound box. The bridge 1 is centrally positioned with respect to the sound holes it and embodies a pair of legs 22. These legs fit against the front wall l2 of the sound box. The sound post [0 is disposed in the sound box and extends between the front [2 and the back It. It serves, as Well understood in the art, to transmit sound producing vibrations from the front to the back of the sound box. As shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing, the post Ill is located a comparatively small distance from one of the legs 22 of the bridge.

The tone amplifying and refining device H is disposed between the back 14 of the sound box and the contiguous end of the sound post In and consists of an elongated piece 23 of soft wood such as spruce, and a pointed pivot member 24 of any suitable hard wood. The elongated piece '23 extends lengthwise of the sound box, as shown in Figure 2, and has a flat front face and pointed ends. The back end of the sound post [0 bears against and is glued or otherwise connected to the central portion of the front face of the strip. The central portion of the piece is thicker than the end portions and embodies a boss-like projection 25 on the back face thereof. The pivot member 24 is glued or otherwise fixedly secured to this projection and bears against a button 26 which is glued to the inner face of the back [4 of the sound box and is positioned in directly opposed relation with the back end of the sound post it. The end portions of the elongated piece 23 are of such thinness that they vibrate readily. They are of substantially uniform thickness throughout except for V-shaped integral enlargements 2? at the extremities thereof. These enlargements are at the back of the elongated piece 23 and correspond in shape to the pointed ends of the piece and fit against and are glued to the inner face of the back M of the sound box. The pivot member 24 together with the V-shaped en largements 27 operates to space the end portions of the elongated piece 23 from the sound box back 54. The pivot member 24, by reason of the fact that it abuts against the button 26, operates to transmit sound producing vibrations from the sound post H] to the back I4. In addition the member 24 forms a rocking or pivotal connection between the central portion of the wooden piece 23 and the adjacent portion of the sound box back and hence permits such spring action between the ends of the piece and the back l4 that the ends of the piece serve to amplify or augment the vibration transmitting tendency of the post if) and hence during use of the violin serve to amplify the tones. The elongated piece 23 is so cut or formed that its vibrational frequency corresponds to that of one of the base or fundamental tones of the violin, such for example as low E on the D string. By reason of the fact that the elongated piece 23 is so formed or cut the device H is exceptionally effective in amplifying low tones and also clarifying or refining such tones. In order further to amplify and refine the tones of the violin, a hole 28 is formed in the central portion of the sound post Ed by boring. This hole extends from one end of the post to the other and functions as intended by making the post more resonant and springy.

In practice it has been found that extremely satisfactory results are obtained when a tone amplfying and refining device having the following dimensions is used in connection with a violin of standard size, that is, one wherein the sound box is approximately 8 inches in width across the tail portion and approximately 6 inches in width across the head portion:

Inches Length t; Width T g Thickness of central portion of the elongated piece 23 including boss-like projection 25 A Thickness of spring ends of the piece 23 & Thickness of V-shaped enlargements 2'l When the tone amplifying or refining device embodying the aforementioned dimensions is used in connection with a violin of standard size it is possible to obtain notes which are higher and clearer than which can be obtained when the violin is played or used while it is not equipped with the device.

Whereas the invention has been described in connection with a violin it is to be understood that it may be embodied in other stringed instruments of the same type. It is also to be understood that the invention is not to be restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a stringed musical instrument embodying a sound box with laterally spaced front and back walls and provided with an upstanding string supporting bridge. on the front wall thereof and a sound post between the two walls, a tone refining device comprising an elongated spring-type piece provided with a substantially fiat top face and having the central portion thereof underlying and abutting against the bottom of the sound post and provided on I the underside thereof with means forming a rocking connection between it and the back wall of the sound box, and in addition having the end parts thereof extremely thin and springy and provided at the extremities thereof with marginal pocket-forming enlargements therebeneath in fixed relation with said back wall.

2. In combination with a stringed musical instrument embodying a sound box with laterally spaced front and back walls and provided with an upstanding string supporting bridge member on the front wall thereof and a sound post between the two walls, a tone refining device comprising an elongated spring-type piece having the central portion thereof underlying and abutting against the bottom of the sound post and provided on the underside thereof with means forming a rocking connection between it and the back wall of the sound box, and in addition having the end parts thereof extremely thin and springy and provided with pointed outer extremities with V-shaped enlargements therebeneath in contact with said back wall.

3. In combination with a stringed musical instrument embodying a sound box with laterally spaced front and back walls and provided with an upstanding string supporting bridge on the front wall thereof and a sound post member between said last mentioned member and the back wall, a tone refining device comprising an elongated spring type piece of soft wood having the central portion thereof underlying and abutting against one of the members and embodying on the underside thereof a pointed pivot member of relatively hard material so mounted with respect to the adjacent underlying wall of the sound box that said central portion is free to rock universally, and in addition having the end parts springy and provided at their outer extremities with enlargements in contact with said adjacent underlying wall of the sound box.

4. In combination with a stringed musical instrument embodying a sound box with laterally spaced front and back Walls and provided with an upstanding string supporting bridge member on the front wall thereof and a sound post between the two Walls, a tone refining device comprising a hard button-like element mounted on the inner face of the back wall of the sound box and in alignment with the lower end of the sound post,

and an elongated spring type piece provided with a substantially flat top face and having the central portion thereof underlying and abutting against said lower end of the post and provided on the underside thereof with a hard pivot memher in such engagement with the button-like element that it permits universal rocking of said central portion of the piece, and in addition having the ends thereof thin and springy and provided at their outer extremities with marginal pocket-forming enlargements therebeneath in contact and fixed relation with said back wall.

5. In combination with a stringed musical instrument embodying a sound box with laterally spaced front and back Walls and provided with an upstanding string supporting member on the front wall thereof and a sound post member between said last mentioned Wall and the back wall, a tone refining device comprising an elongated spring type piece having the central portion thereof abutting against one end of one of the members and provided with means forming a rocking connection between it and the adjacent Wall of the sound box, and in addition having the end parts thereof extremely thin and springy and provided at their outer extremities with marginal pocket forming enlargements in contact with said adjacent wall.

AXEL G. BORG. 

